A group of Grade 8 students at St. Paul Catholic school were surprised on Tuesday to find themselves in a Skype session with a star of daytime television.

When Mario Rocchetta heard his students talking about careers in acting, he said he knew just who to call: Young the the Restless star Michael Graziadei.

"(Graziadei) loved the idea, and the rest is history," said Rocchetta.

The students, who are taking an evening course that gives them extra credit when they enter high school, were thrilled, though they were more familiar with Graziadei from appearances on CSI, Criminal Minds and The Secret Circle, a popular teenage drama, than they were with Graziadei's role as Y&R's Daniel Romalotti, said Rocchetta.

"When I dropped it on them and said, 'OK guys, it's time to push our desks together, the Skype call is happening in five minutes,' I could tell there was a sense of shock in the room," said Rocchetta. "I knew they would rise to the occasion."

Rocchetta said Graziadei told the kids that his job isn't all "glitz and glamour," and talked about how he became an actor.

"He just let them know that no dream is out of reach," said Rocchetta.

How did Rocchetta set up the meeting?

Rocchetta, 28, is an occasional teacher with the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board who is working toward a full-time classroom.

He's also a daytime TV fanatic who grew up watching Y&R with his mother and three sisters.

"My dad and I just kind of got sucked into it," said Rocchetta.

So, when Rocchetta isn't teaching, he's interviewing cast members from shows like Young and the Restless, and Days of Our Lives, and writing about show recaps for series like Glee on Soaps.com.

And, for the last five years, Rocchetta has been organizing events in the Sault featuring actors from the Young and the Restless. The first one was Graziadei, who has since been back for multiple appearances.

Rocchetta said Graziadei Skyped with the kids for upwards of 20 minutes on Tuesday.

"I just really think it says something about his character, the type of gentleman he is, by taking time out of his day," said Rocchetta.